The Supreme Court on Sunday exonerated the tannery owners, who failed to relocate their factories to Savar from paying Tk 30.85 crore as fine and asked the authorities concerned to provide gas, power and water connections to Savar Tannery Estate within 15 days.
At the same time, the court, also asked the 142 tannery owners to pay one-time Tk 50,000 which will be spent for rehabilitation of the tannery workers and staff.
A four-member Appellate Division bench, led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, passed the order following a leave-to-appeal petition filed by tannery owners, seeking reconsideration of the earlier SC order over the payment of Tk 10,000 per day for polluting environment until the relocation of the factories.
The court asked the authorities concerned to ensure so that wastes emitted from the tanneries in Savar do not fall into the Dhaleshwari River, warning of taking legal action in case of failure.
Advocate Syed Amirul Isalm, Barrister Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapash and Mohammad Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury stood for the tannery owners.
Earlier, on March 30, The Supreme Court ordered all 154 tannery owners to relocate their factories from Hazaribagh area of Dhaka city to Savar by April 6.
The court also fixed April 9 for hearing petition on the fines imposed on the tannery owners for not relocating their factories in time.
Meanwhile, the utility services like power, gas and water to all the Hazaribagh tanneries were disconnected on Saturday following a High Court order.
Earlier on March 6, the High Court directed the government to immediately shut down the Hazaribagh tanneries and disconnect all of their utility services, including gas line, power and water, as they missed several deadlines to relocate their factories to the Savar Tannery Estate. On March 2, the HC directed 154 Hazaribagh tannery owners to pay Tk 306.50 million fine for not relocating their factories to the Tannery Estate in Savar within the given time.
On July 18 last, the Supreme Court ordered each of the 154 tannery owners at Hazaribagh to pay the government Tk 10,000 per day as fine for not relocating their factories to the Tannery Estate in Savar.
In 2001, the High Court passed an order for relocating the tannery industries from Hazaribagh of the capital.
The government extended several times the relocation deadline following requests from the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), the implementing agency of the tannery estate project.
However, tanners said that many of their fellow businesses would be able to start production in Savar if the government agencies provide all utility connections within the time fixed by the court.
“We are happy of the court’s order to provide connections within fifteen days. If such orders would be issued earlier than relocation would happen before.”
